The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-05-20
MR.. BLAINE AND THE PRESI-
DENCY.

The Chicago Tribune and st. Paul Pio
neer Press have been having discussion
upon the availability of Mr.. Blaine as &
candidate for president i'm 1888. The
reader of the two papers can but con
clude that the Tribune has advanced fal
the best arguments regarding the
strength of Mr.. Blaine, and while the
Pioneer Press has labOred hard to show
that he is not 30 strong as i'm 1884, it il
hardly necessary to state that its posi-
ton is not warranted by facts nor en-,
dorsed by figures. The Tribune, after
criticising sharply the untenable argu'
ments set forth by the p. r., says:
''The Pioneer Press reserves for il
crushing argument the vague statement
that lin the eleven states, beginning with
Massachusetts Oh the east, and ending
with the Mississippi river on the west
the total Republican vote increased
from 1880 to 1884 by but 80, 754. while the
Democratic increase was 267 400 This
is certainly remarkable way of ascer,
tanning the growth of parties. 1t ex-
cludes Pennsylvania with its 81 900 ma.
jority for Blaine, because that would
show an immense increase over the
Garfield vote 1t omits to state that in
Michigan, us in Iowa and Nebraska,
| there was fusion of Democrats and
Labor Greenbackers on one electoral
ticket, the two parties pooling their
votes and dividing the electoral candi-
dates between Cleveland and Butler in
proportion to their respective strengths.
The 10000 Butler votes thus cast the
Press coolly and dishonesty counts as
Cleveland votes! 1t practices this gross
deception on its readers to belittle
Blaine's strength. 1t also Omits to state
that i'm 1880 the Prohibition vote, which
it admits rs iIupeiessfy lost, was very
light, the party being scarcely organ
lied, while i'm 1884 it pulled off 12,OOO
Republican votes in Illinois, 5000 in In
diana, 10000 in Massachusetts,, $1,000 in
Michigan, 5000 i'm Minnesota, $4,000 in
New York, IL 600 in Ohio, and 5000 in
Wisconsin. If Mr.. Blaine had got per
cent. of the Prohibition votes in New
York he would have been elected. But
no Republican candidate could have got
them. Making allowance for the loss
of the Prohibition vote, and estimating
the Butler vote cast in the Cleveland
Butler pool, Blaine polled as strong a
vote as Garfield. He gained far more
Irish votes in New York than he lost
mugwumps, as is shown in the election
returns. Give him the votes that Sc
coded to the Prohibition standard, and
he would beat Cleveland by $4,000 ma
jority, Notwithstanding all of Cleve-
lands mugwump help. Admitting that
Blaine cannot get the mugwump OF
| Prohibition vote or the knights of La
boz a.cN-Republicans, does the Ponce,
Press know anyone who can, and, if SO
why doesn't it state who it is?" ...
| No good Republican will presume to
question the admitted fact that Mr.
Blaine was the strongest man the Re-
publicans could have nominated in
1884, and it is not believed by the best
posted politicians that he has lost the
slightest prestige with the people
Whether he will come before the next
| Republican convention is not known
but one thing is sure, Mr.. Blaine's
friends will demand the nomination o.
a popular candidate.